What is Playday?

The first Wednesday in August marks Playday, the national day for play celebrated annually across the UK. This year, Playday falls on Wednesday 5 August 2026, with the theme Play – here, there, everywhere! A reminder that play should have a place everywhere, whether that’s at home, at school, in parks or out in our neighbourhoods.

Play matters. It’s how children learn, grow socially and emotionally, develop skills, and build confidence and creativity. Most importantly, it’s how they have fun! Play is a foundation of children’s happiness, health and wellbeing. This Playday, we are all encouraged to work together to champion better spaces and opportunities for play – making our communities more playful.

What are play parks like in your area?

The Scottish Government’s Play Park Renewal Programme gave £60 million to local authorities over four years to develop their play spaces. Some areas spread this funding across all their parks, others invested it in a smaller number of ‘destination parks’.

The Play Park Survey was set up to find out whether that investment has made a real difference to the parks children use. Last year, it received over 4,000 responses. This year, Play Scotland is aiming to reach even more people, with a focus on hearing from the real play experts – children.

Planning Aid Scotland’s volunteers are playing their part by running engagement sessions in their local areas, helping Play Scotland reach even more children to hear directly about the difference the funding has made. This research will feed into a report for the Scottish Government, which will also be shared with the local authority decision-makers responsible for play parks in each area.

Jenny Lester, Engagement, Participation and Events Officer at Play Scotland, explains how important it is to hear directly from children:

“Every child has a right to play, and children’s voices should be at the heart of decisions about the spaces they use. By listening to their experiences, we can help create play parks where all children can play, belong and thrive.”

Why children’s voices matter in planning

Children experience their local environment differently to adults. They’re an integral part of the community and giving them a sense of ownership over their space helps them stay engaged as they grow into adulthood. For a space to work for everyone, everyone needs to be supported to have their say – especially those whose voices are too often overlooked.

Involving children in planning brings creative and innovative ideas, builds their confidence, and helps them feel they have a genuine role in shaping society. Designing with the youngest in mind helps create more sustainable spaces that work for all generations and stand the test of time.

As Cherie Morgan, Planning Aid Scotland’s Chief Executive, says, this collaboration is a natural fit for us:

“Planning Aid Scotland has a history of directly involving children and young people in projects that influence their local areas, making sure their voices are not only heard, but are sustained throughout decision-making processes.

It is true that a place that is suitable for a child is often accessible for everyone, so there’s a lot to learn from how children and young people navigate and interact with places. Children need to be involved in these conversations, not only because it’s their right, but also because they are creative problem solvers.”

Get involved

If you haven’t already, take a few minutes to fill out the survey – it takes around seven minutes and it’s your chance to have your say on the future of play parks in your area. Please also share it widely – Play Scotland has put together a handy pack of messages and images you can use.